Clare Minahan

Associate Professor Clare Minahan is a leading applied Sports Scientist at Griffith University's School of Health Sciences. Her work focuses on female athlete performance, human performance optimization, and muscle physiology, with significant contributions to understanding menstrual cycle effects on athletic performance and talent development.

• Education
  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement), Deakin University (1997)
  • Bachelor of Exercise Science (Honors), Griffith University (1998)
  • PhD, Griffith University (2002)

Her research explores female athlete physiology, including muscle damage, thermoregulation, and immune responses to exercise. She leads the GAPS program for Pacific region athletes and collaborates with organizations like the Australian Institute of Sport and Commonwealth Games Federation.

Recent articles highlight her work on menstrual cycle impacts, muscle fiber typology, and sprint-paddle training in surfers. She has received accolades including ESSA Female Leader (2021) and ASTN Top-100 Female Sport Innovators (2023).

• Key Awards
  • ESSA Female Leader in Exercise & Sports Science (2021)
  • Research Lead, AIS Female Performance & Health Initiative (2022)
  • ASTN Top-100 Female Sport Innovators (2023)

Clare supervises 10 postgraduate students and has completed over 20 supervisions, including PhDs on topics like surfer biomechanics, muscle fiber typology, and deceleration analytics in football. Her applied work bridges academic research and high-performance sport through partnerships like the NRL Jillaroos collaboration and Cook Islands Sports Performance Centre development.